Imagine what a paper goods store can hold in 10,000 square feet of sprawling space. At Envelopper, absolutely everything. With a specialty in printed invitations and an online presence since 2005, the Heidarpoor family decided to “bite the bullet” and open a retail shop. “Our customers were asking to see the color of the paper. The computer did not do it justice," Paiam, the son who runs his family's store, explained. “This is one reason why paper shops are still in existence.” He went on to say, “We felt that the economy was improving and people were recommending that we open a retail business in Manhattan, so when this location became available, we grabbed it.” The area, representing the overlap between Flatiron and Chelsea, has since become the main center for stationary stores. Paiam knows that it will take time for the word to spread about his incredible selection, but he is hopeful that he and his parents made the right decision to “think big.”
On a subsequent visit, I met Paiam’s mother, Roya, who elaborated even more on their incredible store, beginning with the name. Whereas I thought Envelopper was just a reference to envelopes, Roya educated me on the fact that “envelopper” in French translates “to wrap,” meaning that the name reflects both their excellent presentational gift ideas as well as their paper goods. Roya told me that she is most proud of their custom invitations, saying “We can die cut any shape, do any color.” They also specialize in “box invitations” - beautiful ways to announce events in 3D detail. Roya said that she recently made boxes wrapped in red velvet for a Red Carpet-themed bat mitzvah, as well as a hockey box for a bar mitzvah, and that brides stop by frequently.
In addition to invitations, there are handmade papers for wrapping gifts, every item possible for scrapbooking, greeting cards, frames, journals, ribbons, stickers galore, a section devoted to party goods, rubber stamps, and an assortment of writing utensils including my new favorite, Le Pen. With over a dozen colors to choose from, at $1.95, I could not resist purchasing several.